Chopsticks are oriental eating utensils consisting of two separate sticks which must be coordinated in movement and alignment by the thumb and adjacent fingers of one hand. The sticks are pivoted by the fingers to clamp food between the lower ends thereof. Chopsticks can be difficult and frustrating to use for novice users or persons suffering from a disability.
A number of inventions have been developed in order to assist novice users to more fully enjoy their oriental dining experience. U.S. Pat. No. 3,239,262 granted to Rines et al in 1966 discloses an invention entitled a "chopstick hinge". The chopstick hinge consists of a pair of chopstick receiving sleeves connected by what is described as a "C-shaped neck". U.S. Pat. No. 3,323,825 granted to Arima in 1967 discloses an invention entitled a "chopstick manipulator". The chopstick manipulator consists of a casing with a pair of chopstick receiving openings extending therethrough. One of the chopsticks is pivotally movable relative to the other of the chopsticks, with such movement being controlled by means of a spring. International application PCT/GB92/02409 by Ball published under the Patent Cooperation Treaty in 1993 as International Publication Number WO 93/12701 discloses an invention described as relating to "chopsticks, and in particular to a device for facilitating the use thereof". The Ball reference discloses what is described as a "resilient member" having two chopstick receiving holes. The resilient members serves to resiliently bias apart the lower ends of the chopsticks that are normally used to pick up food.
Oriental restaurants could use an apparatus to assist novice users in manipulating chopsticks that is sufficiently simple in construction to enable it to be produced at a cost low enough that it can be disposed of after every use. At the same time the apparatus must be sufficiently effective to relieve the frustration of novice chopstick users. The above described references have not been able to effectively fulfil both of these requirements.